In January 2018 I participated in the Strada Easel Challenge for 31 days. Each day I created a brand new piece of art and posted it on Facebook with the hashtag #stradaeasel in hopes that at the end of the month I would be one of 5 winners of a new Strada Easel, worth $269-299. The challenge started with 550 artists from all around the world and at the end of January there were 343. In all, over 11,000 paintings were posted from all participants!

Alas, I did not win an easel, but I learned some valuable tidbits about myself in the process. On days that I did NOT want to do any art - whether I was tired, busy, just not feeling creative - those days turned out some of my favorite pieces. I think it’s because I just didn’t really care how it turned out that day and so I was looser and making more random or devil-may-care strokes. I feel I really pushed myself and even if some of the pieces are just drawings for my sketchbook, I wound up with some new energy in my paintings and my art practice. Thank you, Strada Easel, for hosting this wonderful challenge!

From November 16 to December 8, 2017 was my show entitled Niches at Miri Gallery in Salt Lake City, Utah. I named it so because I have many different types of art that I enjoy creating and I can jump from one to another quite easily.

Cheryl Sandoval, the curator of Miri Gallery, contacted me about doing a solo show and we chose November because of my other commitments in the fall. When I dropped off my art at the gallery, I have to admit, it was a little daunting. I had a whole room to fill. As we started moving walls and art pieces together, I started to feel better and actually brought more art to the gallery that I had in my private collection. In all, I had 42 pieces, including 2 sculptures.

Cheryl and I hung all the art ourselves, taking a whole afternoon and into another day. It’s amazing how each painting has its own measurements to hang on the wall even though they are the same size painting. The lighting in the gallery was mostly overhead track lighting but in the larger part of the room, there were no lights. I solved the problem by heading to Home Depot and buying 4 new lights and bringing can lights from home. With a little Velcro and extension cords, we were creatively lit!

Cheryl’s brother made all of the food for the opening and closing nights and I especially like his melty raspberry cookies. The guests that came also enjoyed the snacks and would hang out there to ask questions about the art pieces.

I wound up selling my sculpture Ombre and 3 prints of my watercolors. I also had cards to sell and sold about 17 of those. More importantly, my friends and family came to support me and to see the art that I have been working on for the last 6+ years of my life. I have been asked to be a guest artist for the Sandy Watercolor Guild and another gallery is interested in my work. I feel blessed to be supported in show and in my talents. Thank you to all who came! It meant so much to me!

On September 13, 2017 was Poor Yorick Fall Open Studio. This venue is an old warehouse that's been converted into artist studios and twice a year they open their doors for the public to see and buy directly from the artists. Tom Aikins, who was a friend of mine, rents a studio there and I've been a guest artist of his for the last 3 years. He was going to be out of town for this event and asked if I would still be putting art in and if I'd like to invite a friend to also display their art. So I asked my good friend Cheryl Sandoval to share the space with me. She came a week early to help me clean the dusty studio and we also patched and painted the walls so they would look professional for hanging art.

I know Cheryl from the University of Utah. We took many classes together and she graduated last May. She paints nice, big canvases and I knew her pieces would look great on the outside wall, in the hallway. Her art looks great and she hung them perfectly!

We had a great time greeting guests, talking about our art, technique, school classes, figure models, etc. The event was hoppin' busy! I sold two small paintings, one large painting, a couple of prints and lots of watercolor cards. I gave out all of my business cards and need to order more! Cheryl didn't sell any but she said she observed and learned a great deal. I love being around her because she has such a positive outlook and always says the right thing at the right time. I can't wait to work with her again! Quite the successful evening.

I was excited to be a part of the September 2017 Sugar House Art Walk. Several shops and artist studios open their doors to let the public through while offering beverages, snacks and conversation. Commerce and Craft usually lets two artists display on the lawn and covered patio to sell their wares. This time, I was the only artist and the other space was a family of bee keepers selling their honey. It was a little slow as it rained immediately before we started setting up, the Utah State Fair just opened, as well as the Greek Festival is this weekend.

There were a few familiar faces; Maura Naughton, the former president of the Utah Watercolor Society, as well as an instructor at Petersen Art Center. Krystal Mascarenas, with whom I shared a writing class at Salt Lake Community College, and bought a painting. And, of course, my Tim and Shaylee, and my Hunny, Andrew helped me set up and take down.

In all I sold three paintings. The most important thing that I take away from this show is to be flexible in display possibilities. I had borrowed six easels to use, but two were unusable for anything. Instead, we moved a bench from the porch and put paintings on it. I also used the windowsills for smaller paintings. I just wish we'd had a bigger crowd.

Gail was a perfect hostess as the owner and I appreciate her hospitality.

On August 18 and 19, I had the pleasure of being part of the Artsy Judgey McJudgertons first group art show at Trolley Square. As fellow alumni from the University of Utah, we normally get together once a month to critique each other's work, and we decided it was time for our first show. There were twelve of us who felt ready for this challenge and we each helped with set up and clean up. The space at Trolley Square was gifted to us (because we held our University Senior Art Show there two years ago and they love us!) as long as we were able to get insurance. The temporary hanging walls were on loan from the university's art building and thanks to Nate for the truck and most of the group, we were able to install them in an afternoon.